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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841698">all that's left</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangeshoe/pseuds/orangeshoe'>orangeshoe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>samipeko cinematic universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>404 men not found, F/F, Slow Burn, well this happened</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 15:53:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841698</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangeshoe/pseuds/orangeshoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's like a romantic Office Space for animal girls.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lemon/Melon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>samipeko cinematic universe [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. planting the seed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is a fic for <a href="http://www.twitter.com/samipekoe">@samipekoe</a> on twitter!!! it involves her OCs Lemon and Melon and their days in the office they work at, getting to know each other and maybe more ;) this was originally going to be her birthday present as a surprise so this is all my original headcanons and not to be considered official lore for her OCs!! is just present</p>
<p>thank you for reading and i hope you enjoy! please look forward to more installments, every chapter will be more like a drabble since i'm just writing it in my spare time :^)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Bzzzrt. Bzzzrt. Bzz--</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lemon groggily reaches for her phone with one hand and rubs the sleep from her eyes with the other. Last night was disgustingly cold and so she'd doubled up on the blankets, which helped with the cold, but made it hard to figure out where her phone was buried.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Bzzrt. Bzzrt.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shuffled around some more.. Come on, where is it, where--</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Bzzrt. Bzz--</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Aha!</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>5:00 AM</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the screen reads, and even though it’s been eight years, Lemon still lets out a groan. <em>‘Waking up this early is always going to suck, isn’t it?’</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a swipe of her finger, she shuts off the alarm and takes a deep breath. She mentally goes through her routine, making sure she doesn’t forget anything, then slowly climbs out of the bed to go wash her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>‘Tuesday.. Today we have the individual interviews,’</em> she thinks to herself as she watches her reflection brush her teeth. <em>'The last two.'</em></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprisingly, she’s not entirely dreading it. Her company had just established this smaller branch outside the city, and they were doing pretty well running things on their own. Lemon wasn’t quite Branch Manager yet, but she was comfortable where she was. They’d finally got on their own feet well enough to start interviewing for more help, so last week had been the group interview with five candidates.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“All right, let’s hear a little bit about yourselves. Starting with you, Chestnut.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Lemon had led the interviewees in and introduced herself. There was Chestnut, Periwinkle, Almond, Ginger and Melon. All five were dressed up, with varying degrees of makeup and colorful (or -less) attire and sat around the other side of the conference table in their pencil skirts and heels, but there was one pair of eyes that Lemon felt she was subconsciously avoiding.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe</span>
  <em>
    <span> it had just been her, having not met anyone new in a while. But she’s pretty sure that when she was introducing herself, </span>
  </em>
  <span>maybe</span>
  <em>
    <span> she had stared a little too long at Melon’s bust (which, to be fair, was threatening to pop the buttons off her blouse at any moment, even now), and </span>
  </em>
  <span>maybe</span>
  <em>
    <span> Melon had noticed, and </span>
  </em>
  <span>maybe</span>
  <em>
    <span> they stood there shaking hands in silence for a little too long.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was really kind of scary, though. Lemon imagined it to be kind of like a cartoon, where the buttons fly off and then her boobs--</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Okay,</span>
  <em>
    <span> nevermind. Pay attention.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She felt her ears twitch at the sound of a new speaker, and they all went through their questions with ease. Cookie-cutter answers, she remembers, and didn’t bother to take notes. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'm very outgoing, and a team player!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"i’m so interested in what you do here, it would be great to be a part of your company."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"My dream is to work in an office like yours."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>'Please,' </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lemon groaned internally.</span>
  </em>
  <span> '</span>
  <span>Nobody’s dream is to work in an office.'</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Before she could start tapping the edge of her pen on the table as a blatant sign of boredom, she heard Melon introduce herself.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hello, I’m Melon, and I saw your job posting online.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Great. Tell us about yourself,” Lemon heard her manager, Apricot, extend kindly. Apricot’s hair is done up today in a neat bun, and her bangs fall just over her eyebrows. It’s a good look on her, Lemon thinks, and she’ll have to give her a compliment on her eyeliner later.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Melon’s little ears perked like she wasn’t expecting that, and Lemon cracked a grin when she caught it. ‘Oh, she’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>green</span>
  <em>
    <span>.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Melon bit her lip and then smiled big again. “Well, I like fish! And umm.. The color red, and the cookie tins they have in all the stores at Christmas! And I just moved here from out of town.. I’ve never worked in an office before, but I think it might be fun?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Pfft,” it’s the first noise Lemon has made during the interview, “you think it’ll be </span>
  </em>
  <span>fun</span>
  <em>
    <span>? What do you think working in an office is?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Lemon watches Melon’s ears tilt downward and maybe feels just a little guilty.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Melon shifts slightly in her chair before speaking again. “I think.. Well, it’s always been hard for me to try new things. But since I’ve had to so much with moving around, I kind of.. I dunno, learned to like it?” Melon musters her best laugh and reaches up to scratch her cheek nervously. “I feel like maybe if I have someone to support me, I can do well? And that seems like what an office is!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Apricot clears her throat to the right of Lemon and smiles. “Sure, that could be an office. It isn’t always the case, but I like to think our team is very supportive. Don’t you think, ladies?”</span>
    <span><br/>
</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Cherry, Lemon’s peer, hums in agreement. Her pink hair falls in a braid down her shoulder, and Lemon follows it down to the way Cherry’s tail is wagging. Cherry was more of the moodmaker of the office, for sure, what-with her canine friendliness and generally perceptive personality. Lemon didn’t mind, it made things easier for her while Apricot was holed up in her office down the hall. But it got a little annoying sometimes with all the positive, eager energy hanging in the air.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Of course! We’re like a family sometimes." Cherry folded her hands over the table, only to unfold them immediately after, like she couldn't contain the energy in her body. "But you have to earn that kind of trust and support. Do you think you could work hard and support everyone else in return, Melon?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Melon sat up straight, with that. The genuine, earnest type, Lemon guessed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Naive.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It reminded her a little bit of herself, when she had first graduated. Had first felt the harsh reality of the impending dooms of life.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She tried to shake the thoughts from her head and brought her mind back to the table. “What skills could you bring to the office?” Lemon found herself asking, now twirling her pen in her hand. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Um, I’m really good at learning! And reading, and writing..”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Lemon blinked. “Like.. an elementary school student?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was out of her mouth before she could think twice about it, and suddenly she felt all eyes on her. She wasn’t going to back down, though -- who says that at a </span>
  </em>
  <span>job interview<em>?</em></span>
  <em>
    <span>? This girl was, what, in her late 20s and thinks that’s acceptable??</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Apricot nudged Lemon with her elbow gently, as if to say 'maybe you should consider apologizing,' but t</em>
  <em>
    <span>he tension in the air quickly dissolved, thankfully enough, and Lemon watched in pure confusion as Melon brought her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I’m sorry, I guess that was a little immature of an answer, huh? Ahh, I really wasn’t ready for this..”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘At least she’s honest,’ Lemon manages to keep in her mind this time.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Melon took a moment to think, looking off at some random corner of the room, and kept her smile all the while. “Even though I don’t have a lot of experience.. If you offer me this job, I’m going to do my best all the time. I love people, and helping people, so I think.. No, I </span>
  </em>
  <span>know</span>
  <em>
    <span> I can do a great job.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was unbelievably corny.. But Lemon felt herself smile.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>When she finally put pen to paper, she wrote one simple thing.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Maybe everyone deserves a chance.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Lemon brushed the braid out of her hair and let it fall down in big, graceful curves over her neatly-tucked satin blouse, she offered a shrug to no one in particular. She looked at herself in the mirror: her hair styled, her make-up done, her stockings pristine, her clothes without a crease or stray piece of lint to be found, and grabbed her keys.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>A job is a job</em>, she reminded herself. A stepping stone, a building block in life. That’s all it is for anyone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as she boards the train and locks eyes with a certain big-eyed, blonde, impossibly busty cat, Lemon wishes she took her car today.</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. we all fall down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first morning commute together.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello who are all you people</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Your nails are pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lemon blinks, and ignores it. It’s a busy train, there are plenty of people on here, plenty of nails… plenty of--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um.. Miss Lemon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh-- are you talking to me?” Lemon looks across the way, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course</span>
  </em>
  <span> the only available seat was directly across from the girl she was about to interview, and there was no way she was going to stand for this entire ride in these heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Melon looks completely unperturbed, anyway, and simply nods. “I really like the color of your nails. Is it gel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lemon looks down at her nails, as if she had never seen them before, and frowns. “Um.. No, just acrylic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, really? I love getting gel done. It feels so nice when I leave the salon! Where do you go?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Hold on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was this girl just… talking to her? As if they were friends, or even already co-workers? Was anyone that friendly, let alone a </span>
  <em>
    <span>cat?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Lemon purses her lips as the train starts getting rocky, bumping everyone’s bodies into one another just enough to make her uncomfortable. “This place down on Third Street.. Helena’s?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In less than a second, Melon had whipped her phone from her purse and was eagerly typing something into it. “Ahh, wow, it has four stars!! I can’t believe I’ve never been before!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lemon just smiles dryly and turns away to check what stop they were arriving at. ‘Shit, if we hire this girl, is every morning going to be like this..? I can’t be bothered to drive every day, but if this is the case..’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lemon looked to Melon again, who was slouching in her seat with her face happily in her phone. Both of their backs were to the windows of the train, and Melon happened to be sitting against the rising sun. It sort of glowed against her blonde hair, ears perking slightly, and Lemon wondered what she was looking at in the morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instagram? Snapchat? What kind of things do people look at to entertain themselves that early? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing on the train already? Your interview’s not for a couple hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Melon’s eyes popped up from behind her bangs and she laughed. “Oh, yeah, I know. But I always end up getting into some sort of accident when I try to be on time, so this time I left super early! There’s a really cute cafe down the street from--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, that’s enough,” Lemon cut her off, feeling a headache boiling up from beneath the surface. ‘Next she’s going to tell me this job is just a cover for her influencer career.’ “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t come in while we’re still interviewing someone else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re still interviewing other people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s how it works. Otherwise we would have just offered you the job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Melon simply tilts her head, nods, then looks back to her phone.</span>
</p><p>Something about it bothers Lemon.</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘..Was it something I said?’ </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the ride is pretty silent, with Melon visibly preoccupied and Lemon turning slightly to look out the trail of windows behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s lived in the city her whole life, but the sights as she left the heart of it were still pretty new and interesting. The concrete jungle thinned out into more organized, commercial-looking buildings. Less hotels and restaurants, fewer skyscrapers that seemed to exist simply to see how close they could get to the stars, and more big plots of land with fancy office spaces and stretches of grass that looked too pristine to be natural.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If someone asked her her opinion on it all, she wouldn’t really have one. It was what it was, she figured, and it’s not like she had much to complain about. She could afford a nice apartment thanks to her big city job, and now that she was made a lead at this new branch, she had a better chance of moving up in the company and maybe even get on salary. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost scoffs to herself, at that. Workaholic that she is, she knew she would end up like this someday, just didn’t know how or where. It helped, of course - having a steady job and burying herself in it - but when she compares it to some of her co-workers like peppy labrador Cherry or the floppy-eared bunny Peach, who like to work so they have a good excuse to party all night and take their partners on fancy dates and vacations.. Well, making money so she can have a steak with a glass of red wine by herself seems a little dull in comparison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that she minds. But the thought is there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they finally arrive at their stop, Melon cheerily wishes Lemon a good day and “see you soon!” and Lemon is still a little thrown off by her friendliness. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Maybe it’d be good to have that in the office,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> she considers. It’s been a little quiet, even with Cherry sticking her nose in everyone’s business and stopping by (Every. Single. Desk.) on her way to the break room. Maybe someone a little more genuine would do them good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other candidate was Ginger, the A-plus Shiba Inu who had effectively wowed Apricot at the group interview. She’s fresh out of university, all honors, was involved in the student government as Treasurer and, if you ask Lemon, </span>
  <em>
    <span>seems way too damn good for this job</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s definitely an in-between kind of job for her, even if she won’t admit it, and Lemon isn’t very fond of that at all. It’s a waste of time, training someone and then they find some better job in a year and move on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s inevitable,” Apricot had brought up serenely at their meeting after the interview. “People will always eventually move on, whether it be another job or retirement, or whatever else. We have to try to create an environment where they want to stay.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lemon had half a mind to kick the fire hydrant she was walking by, if these weren’t her good heels. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t very fond of saying goodbye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thought leaves her mind as quickly as it entered when she holds her ID up to the card reader and it beeps loudly, unlocking the door. When she steps in, she greets Plum the secretary at her desk, gets a cup of coffee, and settles into her office. Apricot comes in for a brief chat, a run-down of their day, and Cherry pops her head in to ask if either of them want a morning donut (as if there needed to be one for the other times of the day).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This place, if anything, was going to be as constant as she could keep it.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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